Carjackings in Peel Region linked to suspect in Niagara arrest

Niagara Police say a man they arrested for car theft in St. Catharines has been linked to other carjackings in Peel Region.

Investigators began looking into the theft of an Audi RS Q8 Quattro SUV from the Niagara Audi dealership in St. Catharines on March 5.

Two men called the dealership on Lake Rd. and requested a test drive of the SUV, police claim. They further allege the pair present fake IDs to the dealership and stole the SUV during the drive.

In working with Peel Regional Police, York Regional Police and the OPP, officers identified two suspects they believe were involved;

• Michel Pothel, 48 of Terrebonne, Quebec, and
• Romeo Cyr, 21 of La Pepiniere, Quebec.

The stolen Audi was later found in Toronto and investigators linked the theft with other carjackings in Peel and York Regions. Cyr has been linked to the Peel thefts and Pothel has been link to the York thefts.

The investigation learned Pothel was already in custody on an unrelated matter and charged him with theft of a vehicle and failure to comply with probation on April 19.

He has since appeared before the courts and remanded into custody.

However, police say, Cyr remains at large wanted for car theft, impersonation, possession of fraudulent documents and use of a forged document.

They describe Cyr as a five-foot-ten white man weighing 175 pounds with a slim build. He has brown hair and blue eyes.

Police advise anyone who encounters Cyr not to approach him, but to call 911 of their local police service instead.

Anyone with information can call police at 905-688-4111, #3, ext. 1009677 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.